Expert: - 7/22/2008

Question
Hi Warren,

I've been bowling competitively for around 3 years. I bowl three leagues a night. A year and a half ago, I started having issues with my ball not releasing out of my thumb and getting stuck in my thumb quite frequently. Someone then suggested I shorten my span, and that did eliminate my thumb problem. However, in the recent year, I started to develop more and more finger pain in my PIP joints of my 3rd and 4th finger, I then went to another professional driller to have my finger positions looked at. He said that my span was way too short, so I had it lengthened again. However, when I made the span longer, I again had issues with the ball of getting stuck in my thumb. So, I'm just wondering now if my finger pain is a result of my span being too short and I am just gripping the ball too hard? Or is there something else I should be doing in my release if I lengthen my span so the ball will not get stuck in my thumb? What other possibilities could it be?

Thanks,
Gin

Answer
Gin,
You bowl three leagues a week?

Not sure what PIP joint is, please explain? Your pain is in the middle and ring finger of your bowling hand?

More often than not if you have some trust in a ball driller, if something happens (like pain) go back to the operator, explain what's happening. The first operator, invested in helping you, should fix the problem by adjusting what's needed to adjust (at no charge). When multiple drillers are involved, you may run into operators with different philosophies and may trade one problem for a different one.

Your bowling ball should just hang in your hand (it should let go of YOU).

Put your thumb in a ball, relax the hand, where does the second crease of EACH finger fall as you place your fingers over the finger holes (if you throw a fingertip gripped ball)? If a conventional, where does the first crease fall? Crease at the middle of the hole? Crease at the top edge of the hole? Front edge of the hole? Are your fingers long? are they flexible or stiff?

Please fill me in and we can try to help. But, consider going back to the original driller and get their opinion of what's happening. Easier to diagnose when you can see your ball, see you bowl.

Thanks for the questions. Look forward to hearing back.